‘Men Kill 3 Women, Inflict Violence on 838 Women in Diyarbakır in 5 Months’

* Photo: Gazete Karınca news website

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Diyarbakır Network for Struggle with Violence Against Women has shared its its five-month application and monitoring report with the public.

Holding a statement for the press at the Diyarbakır Branch of Human Rights Association (İHD) today (December 17), the Network has announced that 838 women applied to the network's constituents in the last five months because they were subjected to violence.

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While 85.91 percent of the women were subjected to psychological violence, 50.3 percent were subjected to physical violence, 46.7 percent to economic violence, 38.3 percent to digital violence or violence by stalking and 23.6 percent of women were subjected to social violence.

'85 percent are subjected to psychological violence'

Reading out the report, lawyer Öykü Çakmak from the Women Rights Center of Diyarbakır Bar Association has indicated that all of the women who applied to them in the last five months were subjected to male violence.

"It has been understood that each applicant woman was subjected to more than one type of violence. No matter what type of violence they were subjected to, 85 percent of the applicant women were subjected to systematic psychological violence", Çakmak said.

Some highlights from the report are as follows:

* Not included in the total number of applicants, 97 children (aged 15-18) faced judicial proceedings on the ground that they were subjected to a type of crime which is described as sexual intercourse with minors in the Turkish Penal Code and presumes that the child has consented.

* In the last five months, three women were killed by men in Diyarbakır. Moreover, it is known that there are suicides of women reported in the press. It is also known from past experience that the incidents reported in the media or judicial proceedings as suicides were most probably feminicides.

* The participation of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services in court cases is limited, on paper and not properly followed.

* Cautionary judgements remain in effect for an ineffective period of 10 days.

Recommendations: Establish a Ministry of Women

* The period of abortion in rape-related pregnancies should be at least 24 months, the cases where abortions by 'permission of prosecutor's office' are prevented in practice should be eliminated and the statement of the woman should be considered enough.

* The de facto procedure of asking for the permission of the husband in cases of abortions requested by married women should be eliminated and the statement of the woman should be deemed enough.

* When women appeal to health institutions, they are subjected to a 'practice of persuasion' and psychological pressure under the name of 'a period of informing and thinking'. This practice should be banned.

* It should be ensured that necessary contraceptive pills and devices are free of charge and easily accessible.

* Contraceptive methods for men should be more widespread.

* Maternity leave and arrangements about childcare are considered only through women and associated with women through maternity. That being case, gender inequality is rendered official by state institutions.

* Ministry of Women should be established to resolve all these problems. (EMK/SD)